Refrigerating apparatus



Oct. 25, 1932. J. w. WINTER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 13, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov.

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REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 13. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG] L/zm-w/ Ilium/n MW,

Fete nted Get. 25, 1932 rarest caries 83? EEEJFIEIID, BENNSYLVAIQIA, ASSIGINOEEL 1 SEER BEEEZGEMTENG APPARATUS Application filled November 13, 19238, Serial No. 819,051.

My invention relates to such apparatus. of the automatically operative absorption type. Such apparatus includes a gas generator wherein a refrigerant, such as an aqueous solntion of ammonia or similar liquefiable fluid, is intermittently heated to generate ammonia was from the solution, and cooled, conven enty by a stream of water, to permit the residual solvent to reabsorb said gas; a condenser to which said gas is conducted from said genera tor, and in which it is condensed while heat 1s absorbed therefrom, conveniently by a stream of water; and an evaporator to which the condensed refrigerant is conducted, and which is located in the refrigerator inclosure which is to be cooled and from which heat is absorbed by the refrigerant during its expansion to a gaseous state, by such heat. The refrigerant gas from said evaporator is conducted back to the generator, in which it is reabsorbed by the residual water, which has been cooled, and from which it is regenerated by heating said generator, to again pass thru the cycle of changes aforesaid.

My invention is particularly applicable to such apparatus wherein the source of heat is a gas burner, and includes automatically operative means for opening and closing valves controlling both the supply of fuel gas to the burner and the supply of cooling water to the condenser and generator, so as to automatically control the operation of the apparatus.

In the form of my invention hereinafter described, the'movements of the valves are effected in one direction by the pressure of fluid in the apparatus and in the opposite direction by springs; and the controlling devices include not only a water valve and a gas valve, which are automatically actuated during the normal operation of the apparatus, but also a gas valve which is a safety device actuated by abnormal high pressure of the fluid in the apparatus to totally shut off the fuel gas supply.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawings; Fig. I is a diagrammatic, partly sectional, front elevation of refrigerating apparatus embodying my invention.

Fig. II is a diagrammatic, partly sectional, elevation of the left hand side of said apparatus as shown in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a diagrammatic front elevation of the automatically operative gas and water valve control mechanism shown in the lower part of Fig. I, but in a difierent position.

Fig. IV is a diagrammatic front elevation of the automatically operative safety gas valve control mechanism shown in the lower part of Fig. I, but in a diiferent position.

In said figures, 1 is a refrigerator cabinet, conveniently formed of double walls with insulating material between them, and inclosing the food compartment 2 and the apparatus compartments 3, 4, and 5. Said compartment 3 is at the base of the cabinet, in communication with the compartment 4 which extends upwardly at the left hand side of said cabinet and in communication with the. compartment 5 at the top thereof.

Thegenerator 7, which is in said compartment 3, is a metal cylinder supported in the insulating casing 8 with a flue space 9 around it, in communication with the combustion chamber 10 at the bottom thereof and the flue 11 at the top thereof; which flue extends to the top of the cabinet. The gas burner 12 extends in said combustion chamber 10 and is supplied with gas thru the conduit 13 under control of the working valve 14 and the safety valve 15; which valves are respectively independently automatically controlled as hereinafter described.

Said" generator 7, which is-"charged with an aqueous solution of ammonia as hereinafter described,,is connected by the conduit 17 with the condensing elements of the apparatus, including the rectifier 18, the conduit 19, and the condenser coil 20. Said condenser coil 20 is connected by the conduit 21 -with the evaporating elements of the appaing from the lower portion thereof to the top of the water trap 27 which is connected by the conduit 28 with the top of the generator 7.

The refrigerating system aforesaid is adapted to be charged with the aqueous solution of ammonia, or other fluid refrigerant, thru the charging valve 30, shown in Fi II, in connection with said conduit 28. Af er the charging operation; said conduit 28 is normally closed by the manually operative valve 31, to normally prevent flow of I nately open and close the gas valve 14 and the the fluid from said water trap to said generator 7, altho, at intervals, if and when the solvent water accumulates in said trap, say, to the level. 33 indicated in Fig. II; said valve 31 may be opened to drain it into the generator, where it belongs; said trap being esigned to merely temporarily receive any solvent water which would otherwise settle in the bottom of the refrigerating coil 23 and detract from the efliciency of the latter.

As shown in Fig. II, said rectifier 18 is merely a tubular conduit, containing bafile plates 35, conveniently rigidly connected with an axial rod 36, forming a tortuous passageway for the refrigerant gas, in which entrained water is deposited from the ammonia gas. The condenser 20 is also a tubular conduit which is coiled upon itself in the top of the cabinet 1 so as to occupy a minimum amount of space. Intermittent cooling of the residual solvent water in said generator 7 and condensation of the solvent water vapor and ammonia gas, respectively in said rectifier 18 and condenser 20, are conveniently effected by respective streams of tap water supplied thru the pipe 38, which may be permanently connected with a house water supply system. As best shown in Fig. I; the cooling waterv supply pipe 38 has the branch 39 provided with the control valve 40 which is automatically opened and closed, as hereinafter described. Said pipe 39 intermittently directs a stream of water thru the cooling coil 41in the generator 7 from which coil the water is drained thru the waste pipe 42.

Said water supply pipe 38 has the branch 43 extending upwardly therefrom to the lower end of the condensercoil 20, thru which it extends, and down to the water jacket 45 which is in spaced relation with said rectifier conduit 18 and forms the chamber 46, thru which the stream of cooling-water flows and is discharged thru the waste pipe t7, which, conveniently, communicates with said waste pipe 42.

To pass air, and thus facilitate the free introduction and circulation of the cooling water I find it convenient to provide the pipe 38 with the vent tube 48 which is open to the atmosphere at its top thru the cap 49 ;'and to provi e the discharge pipe 47 with a similar vent tube 50 which is open to the atmosphere thru the cap 51.

As the operation of the refrigerating apparatus aforesaid is dependent upon the alternate heating of the generator7 by the flames 52 from the burner 12, say to 230 F., and an internal pressure of 160 pounds per square inch; and the cooling of the residual solvent water in said generator, say to F., and an internal pressure of 20 pounds per square inch, by the stream of tap water passing thru the coil 41; it is necessary to alterwater valve 40, at predetermined temperatures of the contents of said generator and evaporator. Therefore, I, find it convenient to employ separate bodies of thermic fluid, i. e., fluid having a high coeflicientof expansion under increments of heat, for instance, alcohol, respectively located in the generator 7 and the evaporator manifold 22, and alternately operative, by their expansion, to serve as motors to actuate the controlling mechanism by which said gas valve 14 and cooling water valve 40 are alternately opened and closed.

I inclose such a body of thermic motor fluid in the bulb 53 in the casing 54 which extends into said generator 7, and connect said bulb 53, by the tube 55. to the bellows 56, which is rigidly connected at its left hand end with the side wall of the control casing 57, as shown in Fig. I. The right hand end of said -bellows is axially expanded to the right, as

the motor fluid expands in said bulb 53, and axially contracted to the left, as said fluid con tracts in said bulb 53, in accordance-with fluctuations in the temperature of the refrigerant fluid contents of said generator 7. Suchexpansion of the bellows 56 is opposed by the spring 58 which is supported by the screw abutment 58 in engagement with the stationary lug 58" on said casing 57, as shown in Fig. II; so that the pressure and consequent temperature at which such expansionis permittedmay be adjustably determined.

Similarly, I inclose such a body of thermic fluid in the bulb 59 in the casing 60 extending into said manifold 22 and connect said bulb 59, by the tube 61, with the bellows 62 which is. rigidly mounted at its right hand end in said control casing 57. The left hand end of said bellows 62 is axially expanded to the left, as the motor fluid expands in said bulb 59, and axially contracted to the right, as said fluid contracts'in said bulb 59, in accordance with the fluctuations in the temperature of the refrigerant fluid contents of said condenser manifold 22.

The apparatus aforesaid is conveniently calibrated to continually maintain a temperature below 45 F., in the refrigerator compartment 2, and the apparatus is shown in ig. I in the condition and position of the parts when that temperature is reached. In

that time, the major portion of the refriger-' ant with which the evaporator 23 was charged has found its way back into the enerator and been absorbed by the cooled residual water therein. As above explained, as the temperature of the compartment 2 reaches 45 F.,

consequent expansion of the thermic fluid inthe bulb 59 and bellows 62 operates to push the valve lever 78 to the left. Such movement releases the valve stem 97 and permits the valve 40 to be closed by its spring. 98; contemporaneously with the opening of the gas valve 14. Of course, the cooling water then stagnant in the coil 41 in the generator 7 is heated, with the refrigerant contents of said generator, until the cooling water valve 40 is again opened, as above described, to recool the residual solvent water contents of said generator.

The safety gas valve 15 aforesaid is of substantially the same internal construction as i the working gas valve 14 and is merely rovidedto com 1y with the requirements 0 the tire underwriters to entirely shut off the gas supply 15 thru the conduit 13, if and when the internal ressure in the refrigerant conduit 17 excee s what is considered a safe limit. Said valve 15 has the stem 100 which is depressed to open it and is normally held depressed by the slide 101 which is mounted to reciprocate in the bearings 102 and 103 and is normally held in the osition shown in Fig. I by the resilience o the flexible tube 105 which is appurtenant to the pressure gauge 106 which is connected with said refrigerant conduit 17 by the conduit 107 so as to manifest the internal pressure of the refrigerant. \Vhen that pressure exceeds the predetermined amount for which said safet device is set; the bent tube 105 is flexed to t e right, as indicated in Fig. IV, by the augmented pressure therein, so as to withdraw, to the right, said slide 101, which normally overhangs the top of the valve stem 100; so as to then permit said valve 15 to be closed by its spring 109. The arrangement is preferably such that it is necessary to manually open said valve 15 after it has been automatically shut; so as to insure that the abnormal condition incident to its closure is corrected, before it is o ned.

The fusible plug 111 normallycloses a safety vent, designed to relieve the unsafe internal pressure characteristic of such a temperature as would fuse the plug.

As above described, the single lever element 78 is operative a; a toggledevice by the pressure of the spring 81, to alternately open and close the fuel gas valve 14 and cooling water valve 40; the bodies of thermic natelv rendered effective upon the stems 88 and 97 of said valves. As far as I am aware, it is broadly new to operate a valve by such .a spring pressed toggle device and particularly to operate two valves in alternation, by the same spring. The thermostatic snap controldisclosed herein is the subject matter of my copendin divisional application Serial No. 380,517, led July 24, 1929. Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction or arrangement of such a toggle device, nor to the specific construction and arrangement of the refrigerating system which I have chosen to illustrate the operation of my automatically operative valve controlling mechanism, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein, without departing from the essential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination with a generator wherein the refrigerant is periodically subjected to the action of heat from a gas burner, and to the action of a cooling medium; of conduits for fuel gas and for such cooling medium, disposed in parallel spaced relation; valves in the respective conduits spaced apart longitudinally with respect to said conduits, and havingrespective stems in parallel, spaced, relation; a lever fulcrumed between said stems and having a main arm extending from said fulcrum, substantially parallel with said stems, and auxiliary arms extending oppositely from said fulcrum, transversely to said main arm and respectively in cooperative relation with said stems; springs for the respective valves normally tending to close them in opposition to the auxiliary arms of said lever; and thermostatically operative means respectively ada ted to alternately shift the main arm of sai lever in opposite directions and thereby alternately open said valves and permit them to be closed in accordance with the temperature 1 in respectively different regions of the refrigerating apparatus.

2. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination with a generator wherein the refrigerant is periodically subjected to the action of heat from a gas burner and to the action of a cooling medium; of conduits for fuel gas and for such cooling medium; valves in the respective conduits having respective stems in parallel, spaced, relation; a lever fulcrumed between said stems, on an axis transverse to said stems and having a main arm, and auxiliary arms extending radially from said fulcrum in different directions, said auxiliary arms being respectively in cooperamss sro JUSEPH E MM WINTER, 

